1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to internal combustion engines and more particularly to an apparatus for vaporizing hydrocarbon liquid fuels of the type conventionally used for the powering of such engines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Carburetors are typically used to atomize a liquid fuel to form a air-fuel mixture of suitable character to be fed into the combustion chambers in the piston cylinders of such engines, where it is ignited.
The efficiency of such an engine is, at least in part, dependent upon the degree to which the fuel is vaporized and it is well known that with conventional carburetors, the fuel is not completely vaporized under all conditions of operation. In many cases, the mixture of fuel and air flows through the intake manifold and into the combustion chambers of the engine as a wet mist in which minute droplets or globules of liquid fuel exist, whereas, ideally, the mixture should be vaporized into a dry explosive gas.
Heretofore, considerable research has been expended in attempts to improve vaporization by preheating the liquid fuel and/or heating the carbureted gaseous fuel prior to its passage into the combustion chambers. Although such attempts have met with limited success, they have had inherent disadvantages which have prevented them from being universally adopted.
While such prior art expedients may have improved engine performance and fuel economy to some extent, they have generally been found to be expensive to manufacture, are relatively complicated, and are inefficient under at least certain operating conditions. Further, most such devices of which I am aware, take up a considerable amount of space, thus making it impractical to incorporate them into existing motor vehicles of the like where engine space is generally at a premium.